Image: Motionless In White – “Voices” (live in Scranton 2022) [YouTube]
Happy Pride Month! June is well underway, bringing with it not only sunshine and global Pride marches for Christopher Street Day, but also a few queer festivals from the metal world that you may not have heard of yet. Today, we’re introducing a few of these LGBTQIA+ events and looking back at some of the strongest Pride moments on stages around the world – from metalcore to alternative rock!
Pride Metal Fest
Pride Metal Fest takes place in various cities across the U.S. and showcases a lineup of queer metal bands from a range of subgenres. This year’s edition featured acts like Still Stayer, Errors Of Humanity, and Surefire. We’ve linked some music videos so you can dive right in:
London Metal Pride
London Metal Pride made its debut this year in the English capital! Featuring an entirely queer lineup that ranged from punk metal to true trans black metal, the festival delivered both heavy sound and high vibes. Headliners included HAWXX, a queer feminist punk metal band – we’ve linked some highlights for you here:
Not Metal, But Worth Mentioning: The WHOLE Festival in Germany:
Despite being held at the “most metal place on earth,” which many of us associate with sweaty mosh pits and strawberry punch from Full Force Festival, WHOLE Festival is all about electronic music. This year, it takes place from July 18–21 on Ferropolis. Even if it’s missing blast beats and screams, the massive queer lineup is still worth checking out. Find all the event info at: wholefestival.com
Pride Moments at Rock & Metal Shows
Motionless In White
Motionless In White frequently bring messages, Pride flags, and their anthem “Voices” with them on tour, making their stance loud and clear. They don’t just show the rainbow in their music videos, but onstage too. A true safe space for the community:
Yungblud
Yungblud is one of today’s most prominent queer icons. With his loud, unfiltered alternative metal sound, he creates an electric, inclusive atmosphere at every show. His track “Parents” has become a true anthem for the queer community, with fan energy just as fierce as his own:
Halestorm
Halestorm’s frontwoman Lzzy Hale wrote the song “Do Not Disturb” based on a real-life experience. She publicly came out as bisexual a few years after the song’s release and shared in an interview:
"It's based on a true story. I had a lot of fun with a man and a woman a few years ago, on this amazing tour overseas."
